


Ancient

by Franchesca



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: And run with it, Cal with find out, I created her seven years ago, I love her, I promise, I'm gonna try, Lore is awful, Mahariel has secrets, Male-Female Friendship, Memories, Mystery, Not Beta Read, Other, POV Female Character, POV First Person, POV Mess, POV Original Female Character, POV Who knows, POV third person?, Tags Are Fun, Tags Are Hard, This Is STUPID, Wolf Character, memories revealed as time passes, no beta reader we die like men, she's also an elf, suffer through the mess of DA lore, that he doesn't know, was an elf, wolf - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:02:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27202177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Franchesca/pseuds/Franchesca
Summary: Sometimes you think you're doing the right thing, only for the results to kick you in the head and make you regret everything in a single instant. I made a mistake, and now I must pay for it. I never should have listened.Another Dragon Age story, but with a twist. Our protagonist: A wolf. Not that she actually is, she once was an elf, but with a curse and a heavy burden on her shoulders she stays within the familiarity of the forest she awoke in, only to find an interest in a mysterious kid and regret what happens with him, and pops onto a journey that goes across Fereldan. Hey, at least she has an excuse to leave the forest now.
Relationships: Original Female Character & Original Male Character
Kudos: 2





	Ancient

**Author's Note:**

> So we begin another journey. Let's hope my writing has improved? I've not written in six years, not stories at least. But I am a lot older now. Chapter One probably won't be out for another two weeks, as I need to write it, but I promise it will be out before November is up. In any case, I hope you enjoy.

_ At one point time was a blink of an eye, it passed by quickly, with words and books, adventures and battles. Then I made a mistake and fell into a deep sleep, one that I woke up from after a long time. In the beginning, being on my own was something that I enjoyed, nothing to work on for endless hours, no new books to transcribe or newly discovered innovations that just had to be implemented. For the first time in what may have been forever, relaxing was an option.   
  
Eventually however, that enjoyment ended, and without anyone to talk to or books to read and escape within, I feared I might go mad. I tried to go back to sleep, to let the world pass me by and pretend that nothing had changed and I was not alone.. It never did work.   
  
_ _Many years have passed by and time still mocks with a deliberate, unhurried passage of its days. The one interest I have is when the people return, different and similar._ The Dalish _, as they call themselves. No longer are they the Elvhen full of pride and an unfathomable power, now there are no floating spires of glass and stone, sparkling rainbows against the setting sun. Now they still hold bits of pride, but only in pieces and false-truths of history left behind and unknowingly rewritten._   
  


* * *

  
  
One such group, the Sabrae Clan, is currently residing within the forest that I have not left. I had seen the Sabrae Clan before on multiple occasions, they, like others, tend to frequent a few areas far away from big cities and on the outskirts of smaller towns. Watching them from the shadows of some nearby bushes, they are unpacking still, in the midst of laying down what will be their home for a few short months.   
  
“Ashalle, when can we stop?” An exhausted whine from one of the children, who is looking up at an older woman who just sighs. The woman gently reprimands the child, turning to the young brown-haired boy.    
  
“Castien, we are almost done, but everyone must help, even you, until the end.” Her tone holds no annoyance, only affection and possibly some impatience. I understand such, they have to go through much just to survive and sometimes children complaining isn’t the best in a situation. Castien does not stop pouting even though he does continue with helping the older elf.   
  
_‘Adorable almost, children always cause some minor issues.’_ I shake my head softly, ears focusing on the sound of birds chirping nearby, distracting. Listening to them has never been the easiest, ears too sensitive, with too many sounds to catch their attention. A downside to being a wolf. One truly misses being able to walk on two legs, but being able to actually drown out sounds is the true loss.   
  
Eventually they finish setting up, the only light from the fires they had lit. Castien, the child, is playing with another child of similar age at this point, one with blond hair. The two were quite close, preferring to interact with each other rather than other children or adults.   
  
I hum in my head, noting the two, raising up from the ground and leaving the bushes with quiet moments. With a stretch of limbs and an ambience of hushed talking, I retreat from the camp of landboats and tents. As interesting as they were to watch and spy upon, my own sanctuary was much more comfortable to rest within, safe from prying eyes and lurking beings, with wards etched and enchanted again and again with magic from over a thousand years ago. 

What I call my home is a very old set of caves that lead into ancient walls and words, a small and hidden room, the one I first awoke in. It is simple, as there is no doubt that none planned on me waking up once again. In any case it is one of the most familiar, and leads into a buried ruins of what once was one of the lesser used places of burial. The statues within are weathered and not discernable, though I guess they are of Falon’Din as there are sarcophagi around.   
  
I jump onto the stone platform that I woke on in the room away from the ruins, laying to rest and see if any of the Dalish have new stories of interest that might allow the night to pass faster.   
  
When the day begins again I end up watching the Clan once more, avoiding their eyes and ears. As such a few days pass and I develop a routine, until one night I am awoken by the sharp strike of fear from one of the children, a fear that is strong enough to cause a soft ripple across the fade. Making my way back to the camp, there is the sound of talking, words are spoken is quiet from voices I am unfamiliar with.    
  
I shift and lower myself to the ground to silent my steps, getting closer to the voices. What greets my sight are adult humans, speaking to themselves and two of the children that I know well.   
  
_‘Castien’_ My eyes are brought to the frightened child, and the slight ripple that continues in waking world, how the boy is creating such a reaction is a question for another time that I note and put away, instead focusing on the humans. It does not take long to figure out they are the worst kind, Slavers. Resisting a growl in my throat I edge around the humans and get closer to the young boys.    
  
“Lucky catch, two Dalish knife-ears wandering at night.” One of humans chuckles to the others who voice their agreement, the sound irritating to my sensitive ears. I reach the boys after a few more steps and step closer to see them both easier. The movement catches the attention of Tamlen, Castien’s friend and constant companion. The boy gasps and cries out, something that I should have realized would happen. I retreat as quickly as I could, and wait for the humans to finish glaring at the children and look away once more.    
  
Cautiously approaching again, I keep myself almost completely on the ground, trying to look as unthreatening as possible. With a soft whine at the children, they both notice this time. Neither make a sound and with wary eyes, watch me. Looking at the humans, I note where their attention is and figure I do not really have much time if I am to save the boys with as few problems created. In this instance it seems luck is on my side, as the two are bound together by a tree and not completely tied up, as they move their legs away.   
  
Shuffling closer to the middle of the two, I get a clearer view of both the tree and the rope tying them. It’s a simple thing, but strong enough that most adults would find difficulty getting free. Listening to the movement of the slavers for a moment, I stay behind the thin tree and reach up, snapping at the rope with sharp teeth. With a simple tug from the tree, the boys are untethered and move as quickly as they are able, running away from the men. 

  
“Shit! How did they get free?!” Shouting from the men, a few moments too late. Blocking their path, I snarl at them, glaring directly into the eyes of the one who called the boys ‘knife-ears’. Once, humans were alright, most were fine with ignoring the Elves, but as time passes all I see are the ones like them. Greedy, hateful beings. A sword is retrieved from a nearby tree stump and barely misses my head as it is swung violently. Jumping at the man, I knock into him and stagger him enough that I have time to sink my teeth above his wrist, making him drop the weapon.   
  
One of the others runs past with an axe, below me the man uses his other hand to hit at me and attempts to pry his other hand from my jaws. The last points an arrow in my direction and shoots. Without much time to react, I narrowly avoid the arrow landing in my side, instead it leaves a shallow slash through my leg. The sudden movement causes a deep wound on the arm of the man below me as I rip myself away, no doubt causing significant harm to the use of his hand. Running over to the female of the group, she readies another arrow. This one I manage to dodge and use my own momentum to knock the smaller woman to the ground.   
  
She screams before I lock my teeth around her neck and crush the fragile bones within, her voice cutting off with the crunch of bone. Turning back to the human with the sword, he’s stumbling away, hand wrapped around his mutilated arm. I chase after, trotting at an even pace to enjoy the suffering my prey is going through. He doesn’t get too far in the end, as an arrow from the trees lodges itself within his torso. One of the clan hunter’s steps out, followed by a few others, and starts to approach the human before spotting me. A bow focuses another arrow, cautious and angry expressions on the Elves’ faces.   
  
Staring for a few moments, I step back slowly, and upon them not shooting me, I continue until close to the tree line. Giving them one last look, I turn and head back into the forest as the dawn breaks into the trees.   
  
  
Thankfully the rest of their time is uneventful and I go back to watching from afar, keeping track of them until they leave. Other clans come and go besides the clan of Sabrae, but something about the young Castien is an endless mystery that always draws my attention.    
  
It takes time to solve such mysteries, and one day, years in the future, such curiosity may end up saving a life. A time when the world turns and suddenly this life spins into a new and unknown path.


End file.
